Five ways to beat the blues

I have been tagged by Cait for my five ways to beat the blues and the things I do to make myself feel better.
I haven’t always been 100% successful in beating the blues. I had a bit of post natal depression after both babies, although I didn't realise at the time what was happening to me. I also get mild seasonal depression and the recent prolonged spells of rain are definitely making me grumpy!
So, how do I deal with it?
My motto. This is the most important thing I do. I can’t remember where this one came from, but in times of stress the phrase “This too will pass” pops into my head. It is extremely useful when waiting for medical appointments or other uncomfortable situations, or black moods, even long, arduous car journeys. The ‘too’ is important as it reminds the brain that you have been in a similar situation before and it has passed.

Walking. Preferably a long walk for an hour or with a talkative friend. This is definitely a mood booster. Nearly as good is taking my dog Mido out for a walk, but he’s not such a great conversationalist!

Escape to the movies. I adore ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and have I and II at my disposal on DVD. Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Jack Davenport in the same movie are guaranteed to lift a gloomy mood. As is ITV’s recent production of ‘Persuasion’ with the delicious Rupert Penry Jones. For a quick fix: Shaun the Sheep.

A cup of tea and a biscuit (or three). Sometimes it’s the simplest things that make the most difference. Or a bucket sized cup of cappuccino and a fabulous chocolate gateau. The unfortunate side effect of this is to make me put on weight, as it has done recently (I blame the rain).

Gardening. I love uninterrupted weeding where you completely lose yourself in the task, then look up to find two hours have sped by and the bed you’ve weeded looks fantastic. Looking at smiling flowers in the borders cheers me up, as do rows of lettuce. I never can grow enough. Perhaps I should swap the tea and biscuit for herbal tea and a lettuce!

There are other ways, such as dancing with my daughters, listening to music, Paul McKenna CDs and fantasy shopping on the internet, but the above five are the ones I use most often.